The World Series is over, which means the offseason can begin. This fact was not lost on the Boston Red Sox who started things off by signing reliever Koji Uejahara to a two-year, $18 million contract.
Two years, $18M for Koji Uehara.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) October 30, 2014
After a phenomenal 2013 season, Koji started 2014 well, but then fell apart in the second half and actually lost his closer gig in the final month of the season. That alone makes the overall value of the contract a bit questionable, but factor in that Uehara will turn 40 right after the season starts and the two-year commitment doesn’t look so hot either.
Then again, these are the Red Sox. They basically have a license to print money, so this investment won’t kill them if it goes bad. If Uehera is able to straighten himself out and return to his 2013 form, then the outlook on the deal might turn around altogether, making this something of a bargain. 40-year old relievers rebound from extended struggles all the time, right?
